Have you heard of Ooty, India?

The Queen of the hill stations in the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu?

I first learned about Ooty (also known as Udhagamandalam) from my mother-in-law. It’s where she grew up. She always spoke fondly of her birthplace and had a shine in her eyes whenever the subject came up.

I can’t blame her. With lush green tea plantations, shimmering lakes, towering peaks dotted with eucalyptus and pine trees, and the fresh mountain air, Ooty is an idyllic place.

After unexpectedly losing my mother-in-law last summer, both my husband and I knew that Ooty was one of the first places we wanted to visit when we returned to India. We wanted to pay homage to my husband’s mother and spend time remembering her in the hill station she so fondly called home.

Now having just come back from spending a weekend there, I can tell you that Ooty is absolutely worth visiting, even if you have no personal connection to the place. If you are planning a trip to South India, this queen of the hill stations should definitely be on your list.

Where is Ooty and How Do You Get There?

Ooty is one of many hill stations nestled in the Nilgiri mountains in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India. Other hill stations in the area include Coonoor, Gudalur and Kotagiri. While it’s not on the well-worn tourist circuit that foreigners subscribe to, it is very popular with locals, especially as a honeymoon destination.

There are two ways you can get to Ooty: by train or by car. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway train, (Also known as the Toy Train to Ooty), leaves daily from Mettupalayam to Ooty. The ride takes about 4 hours, climbing from 1,069 to 7,228 feet. To this day, the track is considered the steepest in all of Asia!

You can also travel by car. We flew from Chennai to Coimbatore, (the closest airport) and then hired a driver for the 3+ hour drive up into the mountains. You can also drive to Ooty from Mysore but it will take you 5+ hours.

I will warn you, the journey up the mountainside is not for the faint-hearted. With constant switchback turns on a small, two-lane road combined with steep drop-offs and your typical Indian traffic, it was a harrowing experience!

If you plan to drive to Ooty from Coimbatore, I recommend taking the Kotagiri route at least one way. The scenery is quite spectacular on this route and it tends to have less traffic than the Mettupalayam road because it’s a few kilometers longer.

Where to Stay in Ooty

The Taj Savoy

Honestly, if you make it to Ooty, you must splurge and stay at the Taj Savoy. This heritage hotel, set on 6 acres of beautifully manicured gardens away from the bustling center of Ooty, felt like a peaceful retreat in the middle of the city. This hotel is truly what made our visit to Ooty so memorable.

From the moment we arrived, we felt like royalty. The friendly staff greeted us with a puja, gifting us handmade eucalyptus necklaces and showering us with flower petals. They also offered us welcome drinks infused with tea harvested from the local tea plantations.

But aside from the hospitality, our room was an oasis. The hotel surprised us with a free upgrade to a recently renovated executive suite. The spacious, well-appointed room had high ceilings, a king size bed, a working fireplace, and a white marble bathroom.

In addition, we noticed an earthenware pot in our room with Epsom salt and fresh eucalyptus leaves. A quick glance at a note on a nearby table and we realized this was a foot soaking experience, to relax our weary feet after a long day of traveling.

Each night when we came back from dinner, we found hot water bottles tucked between the sheets of the bed to ward off the chill of the mountain air. Seriously, once we checked in, we were tempted to spend our entire weekend in that room!

The resort also has a pedigreed history. The main building of the hotel – one of the oldest in Ooty – was constructed in 1829, originally as a school for European children whose families were settled in the Nilgiris.

In 1841, Mr. H Royal Dawson turned the property into the Dawson hotel. Since then, it has continuously been a hotel, changing names from the Sylk’s Hotel and later still to the Savoy. In 1875, when His Majesty King Edward VII came to India, he visited Ooty and stayed at the hotel.

We had all of our meals at the hotel because the food at their Indian-International restaurant was that good! What we loved most about the restaurant is the inclusion of Badaga cuisine. The recipes come from an indigenous local community which exclusively belongs to the Nilgiris and Ooty area.  I ordered the Thali on our first night and it was divine. In addition, there are Western-style options on the menu and you must try the tea-infused cocktails.

My only wish is that every hotel we stay at would spoil us the way the friendly and accommodating staff did at the Taj Savoy. Hospitality makes all the difference when you travel, and it certainly did for us on this trip!

Things to See and Do in Ooty

When we finally did leave the Savoy, it was for a day of sightseeing. There is much to see and do in Ooty so we had a packed itinerary. Below are my recommendations for what’s worth seeing.

Dodabetta peak

Dodabetta is the highest peak in the Nilgiris and offers captivating views of the stepped tea plantations and green valleys below. Go early in the day before the area becomes overrun with other tourists.

Ooty Tea Factory & Museum

At first, my husband and I thought this Tea Factory was going to be very touristy, but we actually learned a lot about the history of tea in the region and saw firsthand how tea is made. The best part was the sample of cardamom tea we got at the end of the factory tour.

 Ooty Botanical Garden

We almost skipped this but thankfully our driver convinced us to visit because the Ooty Botanical Garden is breathtaking. Once you walk past the large grassy hill near the entrance full of families taking photos, there are many shaded paths to choose from that meander through the hilly terrain. I’m sure you’ll be as captivated by the natural surroundings as we were.

Pykara Lake

There are many beautiful lakes in and around Ooty. Because we only had one full day to explore this hill station, we opted to visit Pykara Lake, 20 kilometers outside of town. The lake has a boat house where you can pay for boat rides. We chose for the 10-minute private ride on a speed boat. The fast ride was worth it to see the surrounding forests ending right at the shoreline.

Shooting Point Hill

Shooting Point is a huge meadow located at the top of a steep hill, just off the side of the road outside of Ooty. It earned this name because many Bollywood and Kollywood films (Movies produced in Bombay and Chennai) have filmed large dance scenes here. The scenery is pretty iconic. It reminds me of that pivotal scene in The Sound of Music when Julie Andrews sings The Hills are Alive from the mountaintops. It’s definitely worth a visit!

Why It’s Worth Visiting Ooty, India

I feel very fortunate that my husband and I are getting to spend time living in Chennai, India. There are still so many more places we want to explore in this vast and varied country. However, having traveled through much of Tamil Nadu now, I can say with certainty that Ooty is a must-see destination.

Maybe I’m biased because it is where my late mother-in-law is from, but this queen of the hill stations has a special quality. You simply must experience it for yourself. It’s a place I will never forget.

Looking for more travel tips for South India? Check out my Chennai Travel Guide.